Synonyms of liftoff

liftoff

noun

ˈlift-ˌȯf 

as in launch

a rising from a surface at the start of a flight (as of a rocket)

everyone was quiet in the control room as they waited for lift-off

Synonyms & Similar Words

• launch
• takeoff
• blastoff
• ascent

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• landing
• crash
• splashdown

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of liftoff

Weeks after its liftoff in early July to boost the decaying orbit of NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, which launched in 2004, LINK ran into trouble, spinning out of control and suffering sporadic communications. — Tom Metcalfe, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026

On July 10, the first stage of a Long March-10B rocket separated from the second stage after liftoff and returned to a platform at sea. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026

Meanwhile, as of mid-August 2026, China’s Chang'e-7 mission is waiting at Wenchang, the launch site on Hainan Island in China, with liftoff expected by the end of the year. — Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026

The arrangement gave the relatively lightweight vehicle enormous liftoff thrust. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026